National Grid, Onondaga Community College offer training for next wave of utility workers

Syracuse, NY -- People seeking to break into electrical utility work have a new avenue to try -- a Utility Worker Certificate Program being offered by Onondaga Community College and National Grid.

The one-year program is designed to train the next generation of utility workers and help the industry replenish its work force as employees from the Baby Boom generation retire from their jobs, said Courtney Quatrino, speaking for National Grid.

The state Education Department approved the program last month and the first class is enrolled, Quatrino said. New classes will start in the fall semester, she said. There is room for about 20 students, she said. They would pay regular OCC tuition.

Prospective students can apply by filling out an online application at OCC’s admissions Web site, said Amy Kremenek, speaking for the college. Campus officials will be posting more information about the program online this afternoon, she said. Meanwhile, prospects with specific questions can call OCC’s Electrical Technology Department at 498-2451, she said.

The college and the company were to formally introduce the program at a news conference at 10 a.m. at National Grid’s facility at 7437 Henry Clay Blvd., Clay.

The program is part of National Grid's Engineering our Future initiative, in which the utility partners with colleges and universities to develop math, science and engineering skills in students from all ages and backgrounds.

Rapid changes in the energy industry require a field work force that not only has good mechanical skills but also strong math, science and communication skills, Quatrino said.

The certificate program includes classroom instruction at OCC in technology, mathematics and science. National Grid provides two courses at its Syracuse Learning Center, taught by utility veterans in a fully energized laboratory that replicates live lines, Quatrino said.

Adam Lindsey, 29, of Brewerton, is on track to get his certificate in May. He said he would recommend the program to anyone who is as passionate about electricity as he is. Electricity runs in the family; his father, Gerald Lindsey, is a retired National Grid engineer.

“It’s very hands-on,” said Lindsey, formerly a manager at Plainville's Nature's Fare Restaurant. “You learn from the best. You use every tool that you’d use out in the field. It’s a great opportunity, I think.”

Graduates will qualify not only for line work but other roles at electrical utilities and related industries, such as cable television, Quatrino said. Starting salaries begin at $41,000, depending on the job, she said.

The program’s course work also can be applied toward a two-year technology associate’s degree, she said.